Rufus is a utility that helps format and create bootable USB flash drives, memory sticks, etc.
With Rufus you can create a Windows installation USB flash drive with the following options:
* Remove requirement for 4GB+ RAM, Secure Boot and TPM 2.0
* Remove requirement for an online Microsoft account
* Disable data collection (Skip privacy questions)
* And more…
http://rufus.ie/en/
 
Microsoft starts official roll out of Phone Link for iOS with iMessage support - Once you have access, you'll be able to use iMessage and view your iPhone notifications on your Windows 11 PC.
https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2023/04/26/phone-link-for-ios-is-now-rolling-out-to-all-windows-11-customers/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Windows11/comments/12zluv3/phone_link_for_ios_is_now_rolling_out_to_all/
https://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-starts-official-roll-out-of-phone-link-for-ios-with-imessage-support/
 
Turn off Windows Welcome Experience for all users in Windows 11/10
https://www.thewindowsclub.com/turn-off-windows-welcome-experience-page
https://i.redd.it/e51c0xagyjta1.png
 
Kingston DataTraveler Max 256GB USB-C Flash Drive with USB 3.2 Gen 2 Performance - Write Speed 900 Megabyte Per Second and Read Speed 1000 Megabytes Per Second
https://www.kingston.com/en/usb-flash-drives/datatraveler-max?capacity=256gb&connector=usb-c
https://www.amazon.com/Kingston-DataTraveler-256GB-USB-C-Performance/dp/B09DVPH8NQ?th=1
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1655141-REG/kingston_dtmax_256gb_dtmx_datatravler_max.html
 
The NEW High Yield Savings Apple Card | Does Apple Now Have the Best Credit Card?
https://youtu.be/5lhWjY3oh4w
 
Learn it! - Flexible learning solutions designed to empower organizations to thrive today and prepare for tomorrow.
https://www.learnit.com/
https://www.youtube.com/@LearnitTraining
 
Photoshop Full Course Tutorial (6+ Hours)
https://youtu.be/ZbvLJ5XtPpA
 
NirLauncher 1.30.1 - is a suite of all the portable tools from NirSoft. Currently, it has over 200 tools wrapped into this one package.
https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/nirlauncher.html

WSCC - Windows System Control Center 7.0.6.0 is a freeware app that will install, update, execute and organize utilities from suites such as Microsoft Sysinternals and NirLauncher.
https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/wscc_windows_system_control_center.html
 
PCMag Desktop PC Reviews
https://www.pcmag.com/categories/desktop-pcs
 
The Well-Rounded PC Buying Guide
https://www.makeuseof.com/well-rounded-pc-buying-guide/

100+ Essential PC Building Terms Defined
https://www.makeuseof.com/pc-building-glossary/
 
Understanding PCIe 5.0 SSD and its Advantages - Overview of PCIe 5.0 SSD: features, advantages, and data recovery considerations. Explains difference from other SSDs, faster transfer rates, storage capacity, lifespan, and maintenance.
https://drivesaversdatarecovery.com/pcie-5-0-ssd-101/
 
Gen5 SSDs — Welcome to the Future of Data Storage
https://www.crucial.com/articles/about-ssd/pcie-gen5-ssd
 
First PCIe 5.0 M.2 SSDs Are Now Available, Predictably Expensive
https://www.tomshardware.com/news/first-pcie-gen5-ssds-are-now-available
 
Best Data Backup Solutions and Practices - back up, back up, BACK UP!
https://drivesaversdatarecovery.com/best-backup-solutions/

Move, resize, and organize windows with Stage Manager on iPad
https://support.apple.com/guide/ipad/move-resize-and-organize-windows-ipad1240f36f/ipados
 
Organize windows on your iPad and external display with Stage Manager
https://support.apple.com/guide/ipad/connect-to-a-display-with-a-cable-ipadf1276cde/16.0/ipados/16.0#iPad3b881f32
 
Use an iPad as a second display for a Mac with Sidecar, you can use your iPad as a display that extends or mirrors your Mac desktop.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210380
https://setapp.com/how-to/how-to-use-apple-sidecar 

3 BEST FREE Video Editing Software for PC – 2023
https://youtu.be/JpYESoy63cE
 
What is VPN split tunneling and should I be using it?
https://www.zdnet.com/article/what-is-vpn-split-tunneling/
 
Private Internet Access Split Tunnel
https://helpdesk.privateinternetaccess.com/kb/articles/split-tunnel-app-examples

Private Internet Access Email Breaches Monitoring
Make sure to enable Email notifications.
https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/breach-monitor

Private Internet Access Knowledgebase
https://helpdesk.privateinternetaccess.com/kb

Draw IO - Flowchart Maker and Online Diagram Software. draw.io is free online diagram software. You can use it as a flowchart maker, network diagram software and more.
https://www.diagrams.net/

Microsoft's huge update to Windows 11 arrives today, with many new features, including AI-powered Bing on the taskbar
https://betanews.com/2023/02/28/windows-11-ai-powered-bing-taskbar/
 
Introducing a big update to Windows 11 making the everyday easier including bringing the new AI-powered Bing to the taskbar
https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2023/02/28/introducing-a-big-update-to-windows-11-making-the-everyday-easier-including-bringing-the-new-ai-powered-bing-to-the-taskbar/
 
Windows 11 Collects an Awful Lot of Telemetry About Your PC
https://www.extremetech.com/computing/342941-windows-11-collects-an-awful-lot-of-telemetry-about-your-pc

Here's a screen capture of a very fast backup of Ubuntu Mate Linux using Macrium Reflect.

What Is the Difference Between Online Backup and Cloud Storage?

Generally, cloud storage focuses on file syncing and sharing, whereas online backup revolves around copying the contents of your device to the cloud automatically. Cloud storage also frequently comes with a file size limit, preventing you from uploading very large files.

These are listed in no particular order. Please add to the list any other of your personal favorites.

Dropbox
https://www.dropbox.com/

Google Drive
https://www.google.com/drive/

Carbonite
https://www.carbonite.com/

SyncBack
https://www.2brightsparks.com/

SyncBack Products
https://www.2brightsparks.com/products.html

GoodSync
https://www.goodsync.com/

GoodSync Personal
https://www.goodsync.com/personal

Backblaze B2
https://www.backblaze.com/cloud-backup.html

What's the difference between B2 vs Backblaze Online Backup?
https://help.backblaze.com/hc/en-us/articles/218483787-What-s-the-difference-between-B2-vs-Backblaze-Online-Backup-

Synology C2
https://c2.synology.com/en-us

Synology C2 Backup for Individuals (Does not require a Synology NAS)
https://www.synology.com/en-us/company/news/article/C2_Backup
https://c2.synology.com/en-us/backup/personal/overview

CrashPlan
https://www.crashplan.com/en-us/

iDrive
https://www.idrive.com/

Carbonite
https://www.carbonite.com/

Microsoft OneDrive
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/onedrive/online-cloud-storage

Transfer Photos and Videos to Amazon Photos
https://us.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=GQFQXL85XKLKS6QE

Amazon S3 Glacier
https://docs.aws.amazon.com/amazonglacier/latest/dev/introduction.html

Apple iCloud
https://www.apple.com/icloud/

qBackup
https://www.qualeed.com/en/qbackup/

qBackup Object Storage Price Comparison
https://www.qualeed.com/en/qbackup/cloud-storage-comparison/

A little history… I purchased Skylum Aurora HDR 2018 and the following year purchased the updated Skylum Aurora HDR 2019. In 2020 Skylum changed the name to just Skylum Aurora HDR with no noticeable improvements. Aurora HDR had now become the stepchild of Skylum and currently has been discontinued. I started to look for a replacement program last year. One of the presenters at the B&H event in Monterey I had attended spoke quite highly of ON1 HDR Photo Editor.

I had a little time, so I downloaded a 14-day trial of ON1 HDR Photo Editor. Within 15 minutes of using the program I paid my money started to explore the program in more detail. I didn’t realize just how outdated Aurora HDR had become. The program supports my 1-year-old Sony A7IV, something Aurora HDR did not. This now eliminates one conversion step in my image editing workflow.
 
ON1 is based in Salem, Oregon. Their motto is “Take Photography Further.� ON1 has been in business since August 1, 2005.
 
ON1 HDR Photo Editor costs $69.99 - one time payment (perpetual license) and supports up to 5 installs on Microsoft Windows and Apple Silicon desktop computers. It also includes a Photoshop Lightroom Classic Plugin.

My current image editing programs include:

• ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate 2023

• Adobe Photoshop 2023

• Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic

• ON1 HDR 2023

ON1 HDR Photo Editor
https://www.on1.com/products/hdr/

What a Ride it’s Been – July 14, 2020
https://www.on1.com/blog/what-a-ride-its-been/

A shameless plug... Avila Beach Polar Bear Plunge Rings in its 11th Year
https://issuu.com/colonymagazine/docs/abl-jan23

Gen – Norton, Avast, LifeLock, Avira, AVG, ReputationDefender and CCleaner
https://www.gendigital.com/

Western Digital FREE Hard Disk Drive Recycling – any brand HDD recycled
https://www.westerndigital.com/company/programs/easy-recycle

Western Digital Offers 20 TB HDD with dual actuator, achieves double transfer speed (>580 MB/s)
https://www.guru3d.com/news-story/western-digital-to-offers-20-tb-hdd-with-dual-actuator-that-achieves-twice-the-transfer-speed.html
 
Astound Broadband - Building Fiber Internet in Central Coast - Get ultra-fast 2 Gig Internet with symmetrical speeds
https://www.astound.com/california/central-coast/
 
Wave Business (Astound Business Services)
https://www.astound.com/business/
https://business.wavebroadband.com/order-now/

My Updated Home Network
I have updated my home network. I live in a small, old beach house. I have no need for a mesh network as a single access point more than covers my house. I used the draw.io diagramming application to create the network layout.
My network wiring is nothing pretty, but it works without having to get on my knees or stand on my head to change or troubleshoot the wiring.
http://www.slolug.com/network/
 
The LastPass Data Breach: Do Hackers Have Your Encryption Keys?
https://www.makeuseof.com/lastpass-data-breach-worse-than-thought/
 
What is ChatGPT and why does it matter? Here's what you need to know
https://www.zdnet.com/article/what-is-chatgpt-and-why-does-it-matter-heres-what-you-need-to-know/
 
https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt/
 
One thing: What is your digital shoebox? Do you have a legacy plan for your photos?
https://www.dpreview.com/articles/6741178670/one-thing-what-is-your-digital-shoebox-do-you-have-a-legacy-plan-for-your-photos

A good find by Kaye...

CR2032 batteries with bitterant coatings might not work with AirTag or other battery-powered products, depending on the alignment of the coating in relation to the battery contacts.

How to replace the battery in your AirTag
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211670

Here’s Why Your AirTag Battery Replacement Is Not Working
https://tidbits.com/2022/09/05/heres-why-your-airtag-battery-replacement-is-not-working/

New AirTag battery doesn't work? Here's why
https://www.imore.com/new-airtag-battery-doesnt-work-heres-why